Laura E. Jesse: Countdown to the “Countdown”

The chartered bus rolled out of the Crossroads Mall Park and Ride at 10:30 this morning with nary an empty seat — 55 alamObama volunteers, one driver (who wasn’t too familiar with San Antonio) and this reporter, who was still getting her coffee on. Following the bus were 12 more volunteers.

“Are you fired up?” yelled Judy Hall, one of three co-chairs of alamObama — the San Antonio arm of the Barack Obama presidential campaign.

The bus occupants weakly yelled, “Yes.” Maybe they were just being shy.

Once in Austin, they were a little more sparky as an Obama campaign worker boarded the bus outside the Backyard where Obama is having his “Texas Countdown to Change.”

The grounds of the Backyard are starting to fill with Obama supporters of all ages, although there is a large contingent of college-age people. And Fastball, the band warming up the crowd before the Illinois senator takes over, appears to be catering directly to them.

Forty-five minutes to go until this crowd will be really “fired up and ready to go.”